On Thursday night, the Philadelphia Phillies opened up a series with the New York Mets at Citi Field.
They won by a score of 3-0.
Bryce Harper finished with three hits, one walk and one RBI.
Phillies Star Bryce Harper Makes Bold Statement
After the game, Harper spoke to Ken Rosenthal (h/t FOX Sports: MLB).
Rosenthal: “Nine games left. You guys are in playoff position. What are you looking for from the team as you point toward October?”
Harper: “Yeah, this is postseason baseball for us right now. We’re fighting for that number-one spot in the wild card, and that’s a big position for us, obviously. We want to play at the Bank. We want to play at home. We want to be there. So we’re fighting for that position, and we want to get hot right now. I think any team that gets hot has a chance to win it.”
Bryce Harper spoke with @Ken_Rosenthal after the Phillies 3-0 win over the Mets
Looking At Harper
Harper is in the middle of his 15th season at the MLB level (and 8th with the Phillies).
He had spent the first seven years of his career with the Washington Nationals.
The two-time MVP is currently batting .274 with 148 hits, 28 home runs, 84 RBIs, 90 runs and seven stolen bases in 153 games.
Looking At The Phillies
As for the Phillies, they are currently the second-place team in the National League East with an 85-68 record in 153 games.
They have gone 5-5 over their last ten games (and are 44-34 in 78 games on the road).
Following three more games with the Mets, the Phillies will return home to host the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.
Currently, they are 4.0 games back of the Atlanta Braves for first in the division.
John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia wrote: “The Phillies have a 5 game lead for a wildcard spot with 9 games to go. The Phillies are tied for the top wildcard with the Cubs, but the Phillies do not have the tiebreaker.”
Philadelphia Phillies Star Bryce Harper Makes Bold Statement After Mets Game